extremely qualified ambassador of earth

[bitterchill]

Vancouver, being Vancouver, lacks a vibrant night life, or for that matter a dingy one. Take this alleyway, for instance. Completely empty. Where are the muggers? Where are the filthy strays? New York clicks its counterfactual tongue in grimy disapproval.

That said: the alleyway is empty. It would be a shame if something... happened to it.

Comments

[bitterchill]

"Lifespan, you mean?"

[between_worlds]

"Yea."

[bitterchill]

"The average wizard has a natural life expectancy of anywhere from three to five hundred years. Most wizards don't exactly put fitness as their top priority, so I'd probably be at the higher end of that, or maybe even break records, I don't know. I'm something like sixty or seventy years old, I think, so I have four hundred or so years left. If nothing kills me before then. Which is hilariously unlikely." There's a flicker of a wry smile on his face.

[between_worlds]

"That's good! But, you're a monster fighter, isn't your job having things try to kill you?"

[bitterchill]

"So 'tis. You may have noticed I'm not looking for a less fatal job. It's just... not so much fun to think about, you know?"

He deftly steals a spoonful of Alex's gelato. "Anyway."

[between_worlds]

"What is amaretti?"

[bitterchill]

"Little almond cookies. I originally thought it was amaretto, so, almond cognac, but cookies and alcohol are pretty much the same thing anyway."

[between_worlds]

"Can I try?"

[bitterchill]

"Theft invites theft. Take of me what you will."

[between_worlds]

Alex reaches forward with his spoon, then pauses.
"That," he says with a smirk, "Is a dangerous offer."

[bitterchill]

"Really."

[between_worlds]

Alex snags a bite of Ari's ice cream, "You should be careful making offers like that. Someone might take advantage of you."

[bitterchill]

"I don't make offers if I'd mind people taking them. It's a basic rule of negotiation, one that I've always taken to heart."

[between_worlds]

Alex freezes, then lets out a shaky breathe and kisses Ari.

[bitterchill]

Ari is predictably delighted! (He tastes like the earthy tones of his gelato, with an undercurrent of spice that can't be natural. He leads the kiss after the first few seconds, because he gets the feeling Alex could use the help.)

...There's a strange chill in the air. More than should normally come from the freezers and the Vancouver evening.

[between_worlds]

Alex is enjoying the kiss too much to notice.

[bitterchill]

Ari's not on the psychic sensitivity leaderboards or anything, but he's more perceptive than most humans simply virtue of being a wizard. Eventually he breaks off the kiss, brow furrowed. "Seriously? A haunted ice cream shop?"

(The teenaged girl manning the counter gives him an odd look, but declines to comment.)

[between_worlds]

Alex looks around, "Do you see something?"

[bitterchill]

"Not... 'see,' so much. Wizards get some extra-sensory stuff for the mystical whatever. But it's colder than it should be, and it's uneven, and there's this sort of creepy ghosty feeling screwing up my kissing vibe. Which is unacceptable."

[between_worlds]

"It has really bad timing. Should we banish it or throw salt at it or something?"

[bitterchill]

"Well, we might as well check it out, at least. If the ghost's harmless we can just make out at the apartment instead; it's not hurting anyone." He turns to the cashier. "Excuse me, do you know if there's some reason for your shop to be haunted?"

"Ghosts don't exist, sir."

"But if they did."

She sighs. "I dunno. Kathy was telling me some homeless guy died outside? Creepy shit. That ghosty enough for you?"

"Indeed!"

[between_worlds]

"How do we find it?"

[bitterchill]

"You were talking about wanting to see the Nevernever, right? Here's an opportunity!"

"Are you on acid?" inquires the cashier.

"Not usually!"

[between_worlds]

"Though that would explain a lot," Alex says with a smirk.

[bitterchill]

"Hardly. And it certainly wouldn't explain this." Ari slams his foot to the floor, which melts into a mirrored sheen. The air before him fills with a curtain of reflective mist.

The girl behind the counter looks slightly queasy. "You..."

"I can put it back," Ari reassures her.

She nods faintly. "Well, that's good."

He turns back to Alex. "Shall we?"